A Simple Consideration
by IceHaze
Summary: Sometimes, it's just the thought that counts.
1. Once the Gift

**Crossover:** Sailor Moon x Naruto

**Pairings:** Usagi x Itachi

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sailor Moon, Naruto or any of the trademarked characters.

**Author's Note: **This story takes place in an alternate Naruto timeline. This means no Uchiha massacre though there are some hints of it in the story.

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**A Simple Consideration: Chapter 1**

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Usagi stared inside her bag once more, making sure the small package was still there. She held onto the shoulder straps tightly, her body tense with anxiety.

It was Itachi's birthday and she wanted to make sure she brought the perfect gift for him. Because he had particular tastes, Usagi didn't want to feel she gave him anything less than worthy. Making a mental note for the twenty-ninth time that the package had not jumped out of her bag from its own sheer will, she breathed slowly in order to calm her nerves. _It's just Itachi. No big deal. You see him almost every other day. Just say hello, give him the gift, hang around a bit and make your way out slowly._ But her internal pep talk did nothing to console her, for she continued to sweat ever so slightly and a small blush adorned her cheeks.

A thought crossed her mind as she continued to make her way over to his house. What if he didn't like her present? Would he simply discard it when she wasn't around? Would he refuse it all together? Usagi didn't think she could handle the rejection and slowed her pace down. She looked sadly towards the ground and began to ponder over her predicament. It was one thing if he accepted graciously, but if he refused the gift to begin with…No, she wouldn't allow herself to think that. Even if Itachi never showed interest in petty gifts, he was still a polite and gentle shinobi. He would accept the gift, thank her for the gesture and bid her farewell.

Shaking her head to rid it of any negative thoughts, she sighed in exasperation and groaned in annoyance. And before she could think about anything else, she stopped at the front of his house. Usagi smiled sadly as she looked over his home. Compared to her place, it looked like a mansion. The house was definitely old fashioned. His doors were shoji sliding doors and she noticed that each mat was carefully handcrafted with the best translucent Warlon rice sheets in the entire Land of Fire. Even the wooden dougong were beautifully interlocked. The entire estate was a masterpiece. And this place befitted Itachi. He was a well respected shinobi, a prodigy of his clan, a genius of his generation, captain of an Anbu squad, and a powerful Jounin. He deserved to live within the best that life had to offer, which brought up another question for Usagi.

Was her gift good enough?

And so she glanced down into her bag, for the thirtieth time. Perhaps it was better to just forget the whole thing? She decided that was probably the better option so as to be saved from the humiliation. He probably would have hated it anyway.

"What are you doing here, Usagi-chan?"

Usagi jumped in surprise and clutched her bag tightly. She whipped around sharply and stared into the eyes of the culprit that scared away any recollection of her previous thoughts.

"Sasuke-kun…I…" She mentally scolded herself for not only being caught off guard but for also finding herself so tongue-tied and flustered. _You're a kunoichi! Get a grip! _Before she could manage to form anymore coherent words, however, the younger boy looked at her with a knowing smile and spoke first.

"You're here to see my brother, aren't you?"

"How did you….?"

Sasuke sighed, irritated that she would insult his intelligence. "It is his birthday after all. And you're not the first girl to come by and drop a present today, you know?" He motioned for her to follow him inside before Usagi could question what he had meant by that last statement.

Usagi stepped inside, carefully surveying her surroundings. She noticed that the house was eerily quiet and glanced over at Sasuke who was carefully removing his shoes. "Where is everyone? Aren't you guys celebrating his birthday?"

For a brief moment, Sasuke had a sad look but it disappeared quickly right after. "No one is home. Mom is at the market, dad is working in the Uchiha Police HQ and Itachi is at a meeting with his officers. We always want to celebrate but he always insists it's a waste of time. The truth is Itachi doesn't really like celebrations, especially with the clan."

She removed her shoes and placed them right at the entrance as he told her this. She saw the brief sadness in his eyes and worried about him greatly. "Aren't you lonely being all by yourself?"

His face was away from her vision so she couldn't see his reaction, but Sasuke slowly turned to her with a small smile. "Come on," was all he said before walking through a dark corridor.

Gently, she placed her bag near her shoes and followed Sasuke into a large room which she could only assume was some sort of parlor. The floors were made of tatami, a huge contrast to her plain wooden floors. The walls were a smooth creamy color and there were some scrolls with ancient text cascading down to give the room a flavor of sophistication. The room only had simple furniture, a long wooden table at one end and a few cabinets on the other end. After marveling the inside of his house, she couldn't decide whether it was as or more beautiful then the architectural exterior of it.

"You can put yours over there. He might look through them later." Sasuke pointed over to the side of the room with the long wooden table and she scolded herself for not noticing it earlier. There were stacks of trinkets she originally assumed were part of the décor.

Usagi ignored this, though, because it was Sasuke's last comment that confused her. She looked over at him and gave him a perplexed look. "_Might_?"

He shrugged in response. "Who knows if he will or not? Sometimes he has mom and me look through them and sort them out. He's so busy nowadays that he never has time for trivial things."

She frowned even more upon hearing this. It was probably better to have just gone with her other instincts and forget the whole thing. If what Sasuke said was correct, then he probably wouldn't have time to sort through all the gifts. And hers would only add to the list of chores Sasuke and his mother would have to do for him.

Usagi slowly walked over to the table holding the gifts, still debating on whether or not she should leave her package among them. She picked up one of the items and brushed it with her fingertips carefully. "Actually, I just came to…." She inspected it as well as the rest of the items on the table and scrunched her brows when she noticed that most of them were either scrolls or weapons. Some of them were also clothes, specifically designed for shinobi in order to combat. They were created to allow complete maneuverability. "Do all these gifts really belong to him?"

"Yeah, they do, and good thing, too. Knowing my brother, he'd want something practical anyway. At first I thought the girls were going to bring him something stupid like a charm or stuffed animal, but he'll be relieved to see that all these gifts are actually useful. Some of them brought scrolls containing special jutsu, and weapons hand crafted to perfection. Even the specially modified shinobi uniforms will help him out. To be honest, I wish he'd let me borrow some of the scrolls. And I wouldn't mind practicing with these weird shuriken I saw…"

Usagi was no longer listening to Sasuke as he continued to ramble about his brother's gifts. She shut her eyes to hold back the tears that threatened to spill as she thought about her new dilemma. _How could I be so stupid?! Of course he'd want something useful. He is Uchiha Itachi after all! All these women got him these wonderful gifts and I just…._

Sasuke was no longer talking as he noticed the sudden change in Usagi. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked with genuine worry.

Usagi clenched her fists in order to fight the tears. "I….I…just…" She couldn't cry at a time like this. It would just prove how weak she really was and then she'd be humiliated for weeping over such a stupid reason. It was her fault for thinking her gift was perfect for him. She should have known she would have messed this up, just like she messed up everything else in her life.

Sasuke was worried at this point and almost made a move to walk over and make sure she didn't hurt herself when she picked up that weapon. He would have managed to get there had she not spoken first this time and stopped him right at his tracks.

Usagi conjured up all the strength she could and ignored her sorrow. She opened her eyes and smiled sadly. "Actually, I just wanted to stop by and wish your brother a happy birthday, that's all. I hardly see him anymore and thought I'd pay him a visit."

"That's all?" he asked, unsure of whether or not to believe her story.

Usagi sighed and answered somberly. "That's all." And with that said, she bowed graciously, left the room, hastily picked up her bag and ran out the door.

Sasuke didn't quite register what just happened. Everything was fine one minute and then suddenly….He decided it was best to just ignore her antics. Most of the women he had come to know were just as peculiar if not more, so it didn't surprise him one bit. He closed the door she left open and walked away. Before he could turn around completely to leave, however, a glint of light caught his attention just out of his peripheral vision. He walked over towards the small object on the ground and picked it up. In his hands was a small silver box tied with red ribbon.

He untied the ribbon carefully until it fell carelessly onto the floor. He opened up the thin box and raised an eyebrow, slightly vexed about the contents inside. His eyes traveled from the gift and back to the door of which Usagi had just exited. Piecing everything together, he smirked to himself, shut the box and retied the ribbon back on.

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It wasn't until later that evening that Itachi returned home. His meeting had gone on longer than expected, and he was relieved to know that he didn't have another mission waiting for him. He could rest a little easier knowing his weekend was completely free. After sliding the door open, he slipped off his shoes and dropped his sack at the entrance. "I'm home," he announced to no one in particular.

Mikoto was the first to answer as she carried a small casket of laundry over to the adjacent room. "Oh Itachi, you're back. Your father's not home yet. Sasuke and I all ready ate if it's okay with you. I left your dinner on the kitchen counter."

Itachi walked passed her and replied with a polite thank you. As he walked into the kitchen to grab his food, his mother added in a few more comments.

"By the way, you still haven't gone through all your gifts. Would you like to look through them later or would you rather want us to sort them for you?"

"Yes, that's fine," he replied before grabbing his food and walking towards his room.

His mother frowned and sighed as her son still had not clarified which option he preferred. She assured herself that he was probably exhausted from a long day's work so she made a mental note to get Sasuke to help her sort out his gifts.

Itachi walked over to his room with some food at hand. Truthfully, he was trying to avoid having to deal with the gifts. They were all from girls of which, he noted, held a particular interest in him. Since he really didn't want to assume a responsibility or commitment, he preferred avoiding the gifts all together. Itachi sighed knowing that the girls would eventually come up to him and inquire about whether or not he liked their gifts. He would worry about that later. For now, he wanted to enjoy the rest of his birthday in peace.

That peace, he noticed, would have to wait. Upon sliding the door to his room open, he noticed Sasuke sitting casually by his kotatsu with several trinkets surrounding him.

"It's about time you showed up. I've been waiting for you."

He was a little irritated that Sasuke was here, especially after having endured another boring and pointless meeting. "What is it you want?"

Sasuke only smiled mischievously and tossed around a scroll carelessly. "I sorted through about half of your gifts. Mom and I will have to finish it up tomorrow. I just came to ask if I could borrow some of these scrolls." He finished up by balancing a scroll with one finger.

Itachi walked over, snatched it from his grasp and placed it on his nightstand. "Next time, don't sneak into my room without my permission."

Sasuke only pouted and leaned back on the floor, propping his body with his elbows. "You're lucky you know? Most of the stuff you got will probably be useful on future missions. Someone even had a new uniform for you."

"At least they had enough sense to give me something practical." Itachi was only half listening as he attempted to eat his dinner alongside his brother.

"Let's see, there were some hira shuriken, the ones tied by a thin chain. I think they'd be really good at fooling opponents into thinking you have control over their trajectory. I was wondering if I could borrow them."

"Whatever," he replied, without a trace of emotion. "Were all the gifts weapons?"

"Weapons, scrolls…you know, the usual you get every year."

He didn't bother to ask anymore. When it came to weapons, he wasn't too particular. Using heavy weapons only slowed down his movements, made him more cumbersome, and inhibited his accuracy and precision. If the weapon was too light, then it would not inflict heavy enough damage to even mildly injure an opponent; therefore, he liked to keep it simple when it came to using weapons, especially projectiles. After all, he was a Jounin. It didn't matter what he used, the result of any fight would always end with him as the victor. As for the jutsu in the scrolls, they couldn't possibly be of any worth to him. These were all jutsu from childish women. They couldn't possibly harbor any true, raw power. They were probably basic techniques such as water clones, fireballs, and standard genjutsu; all of which he mastered long ago. If that was the case, they would actually be more suited for Sasuke anyway since he was almost graduating from the academy. His new uniform was another annoying gift. Even if the clothes were tailored specifically for his needs, he found it a bit unsettling to wear something one of his strange admirers gave him. To conclude, he found no interest in any of the gifts.

"Actually, now that you mention it…"

Itachi halted all his thoughts and focused now on Sasuke who looked as if he was hiding a secret. He placed his chopsticks right beside his plate and silently asked his brother to continue his sentence.

"There was _one_ gift that was different."

He merely stared in response and Sasuke knew that was about as much of a reply he would get out him. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the silver box from earlier and tossed it carelessly towards him.

Itachi caught it with two fingers and stared at the small package. He turned it around and inspected it entirely, even noting the messy way the ribbon was tied. He glanced over to Sasuke who was now walking out the door. "It's from Usagi-chan," was all he said before sliding the door closed behind him. Itachi decided that he would make sure to secure everything carefully from now, unless he wanted his brother to invade his personal property again.

* * *

Looking up into the sun, Usagi waited patiently for Itachi to show up. She found a note with her mail, automatically recognizing it as Itachi's. He had the day off and wanted to resume their training because he would be spending the following day with Sasuke. She now stood on the bridge they were supposed to meet at and leaned casually over it. She stared down into the water and thought about the events of the previous day. The gift she meant to give him had gone missing from her bag and she wondered if it fell while she ran away from Itachi's house the other day. Even if it fell on the streets, the gift wasn't addressed to anyone, so she could avoid the public humiliation. It was so humbly wrapped that it could easily be mistaken as garbage. Perhaps someone casually tossed it away? Any of these scenarios would have been fine but the one that constantly plagued her was it falling inside the Uchiha house. What if Sasuke picked it up, or worse, Itachi?

But she figured that couldn't be the case. He would have thanked her in the note, right? Itachi would have avoided the awkwardness of personally thanking her and just mentioned it in the letter. Then they could resume meeting each other without him feeling uncomfortable. But then another thought occurred. What if he _didn't _like the gift? What if Itachi _was _avoiding the issue? But if that was the case, he would feel uneasy meeting her, at least, that's assuming he even cared at all.

Before Usagi could continue worrying, she was poked softly from behind and she found herself, once again, jumping in alarm. She turned around sharply and grimaced when she saw it was Itachi. "What is it with Uchiha men and creeping up on people?!"

Itachi frowned in confusion. "You're a kunoichi of Chuunin rank. You shouldn't be afraid of someone poking you from behind."

She glared and knew that she must've had a flush face. "I wasn't scared. I was….surprised."

"You shouldn't be surprised either. If you had half a sense to pay attention, you would have noticed I was briskly walking over here."

Usagi didn't respond but pouted and averted her gaze away from him in order to try to hide the blush on her face.

"We're going to do our training in the forest this time. We'll continue on from where we left the other day. Did you study the scrolls I gave you or did you slack off again as usual?"

Usagi was furious he would think so little of her. Of course she studied the scrolls! She was about to give him another earful when an object caught her attention. Around Itachi's neck was a simple and elegant necklace. The same necklace she had bought him for his birthday. The string was black and it had three silver circular designs. According to the man who sold it to her, each silver circle represented three different Shinto deities: the goddess of the sun, the god of the moon, and the god of storm. By wearing the necklace, a person demonstrated a sense of balance and stability through acknowledging all powers man can possess: body, mind and soul. The item exhibited a sense of strength, inner and outer; which was why she thought it was perfect for Itachi.

"Well…?"

She looked from his necklace up into his face and gave him a genuine smile. "Yes, I did." And she walked off towards the direction of the forest with a silly grin plastered on her face.

Itachi scowled as he noted Usagi didn't clarify whether she studied the scrolls or not. Not bothering to question her anymore, he assumed that she did and followed her closely behind.

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Reviews/Comments appreciated. I'm thinking of making this a two-part story. You'll see how the next chapter goes if/when I come out with it.

Icehaze


	2. Thrice the Return

I know, I know. It's been a while. Ramblings will wait till later. But in return, this chapter's quite long actually.

**Crossover:** Sailor Moon x Naruto

**Pairing:** Insane...keep reading

**Timeline: **There is none. Don't try to find one. You'll have better luck trying to find a plot for Excel Saga.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sailor Moon, Naruto, or the socks I'm wearing for that matter. I do, however, own a slingshot that I will use to shoot chewing gum at Kishimoto should anything happen to Hinata. In the words of Little Kuriboh: "I've read fanfiction that made better sense than this!"

**Author's Note:** HTchime (Did i spell that right?) Naruto's appearance is dedicated to you.

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**_Chapter 2: Thrice the Return_**

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The only sound heard was the clanking of metal as two projectiles collided with each other and flickered off into the shadows of the dense forest.

It had been almost two hours since they began their practice session, yet the two didn't seem deterred by the physical exertion their bodies had sustained. Then again, that was the main purpose of the training—to increase physical endurance and conserve chakra. It was the very reason why they had only sparred with weapons thus far. But the untapped chakra was becoming more and more tempting to use as the battle prolonged.

They landed with a sharp turn and eyed each other wearily, just moments before charging for another attack. Only this time, the temptation had breached its limit. After a few quick seals, a blaze of fire ravaged the landscape.

Sasuke growled in annoyance when he realized that his technique missed, having been effectively countered by Naruto's clones. Well, you couldn't really call them clones on account of how lopsided and scrappy they looked. He doubted they even had real substance. Despite their appearance, they managed to serve their purpose as a distraction and allowed Naruto the chance to evade all damage. Sasuke hurriedly scanned the battleground. If only he had the Sharingan like his brother did, then keeping up with Naruto would be no problem at all. No matter, he knew that as far as basic skills went, his surpassed Naruto's. He was number one in the class after all.

His eyes quickly scanned the surrounding environment. The most obvious spot would have to be the trees and knowing Naruto, he would try such a lame stunt anyway. Sasuke thought back to all the concealing training he had with Itachi when he was a bit younger—hide and go-seek _did_ come in handy after all. He smirked once he discovered Naruto's precise location. His fingers quickly retrieved several kunai from his bag and he decided that now was the perfect opportunity to try the trick he once saw his brother perform. Since his feet were not quite as strong as Itachi's, he needed to get a running start right before leaping in the air. The kunai flew from his hands at high speed and Sasuke sent the next round to change their trajectory. And just like he predicted, Naruto came charging at him from a nearby tree with his own weapon ready to block his.

Naruto leapt head first with his kunai clutched tightly—his first mistake. Sasuke quickly dodged the exposed weapon and attacked subsequently by slashing Naruto's leg with his own kunai. Naruto winced at the contact the sharp object made with his skin. The landing would hurt, so he decided to soften the blow by focusing his weight on the uninjured foot. Unfortunately, this was what Sasuke expected. Naruto's movements slowed as he landed and the boy was wide open for attack. Sasuke sent one shuriken flying, pinning Naruto's clothes to the ground. Naruto was shocked and struggled to break free, but it was too late. Sasuke held the kunai right at his chin.

"That's game. If it had been a real shinobi battle, you would have been dead."

Naruto scowled, refusing to admit defeat.

"Honestly, you keep making the same mistakes over and over again. How do you ever expect to graduate from the academy and become a Genin when you keep repeating the same moves? Even a kid could predict what you planned to do next."

"Stop acting like you're better than me! I was able to make clones wasn't I?"

"I wouldn't call those mangy blobs clones."

"They fooled _you_, didn't they?"

Sasuke averted Naruto's gaze and sulked. It was true, the scrappy clones managed to divert his attention and knowing _that_ made him even grumpier. Even if he did win the match, he allowed the opponent to gain an advantage—a mistake Itachi would have never made. No, his brother at their age had far exceeded his own capabilities. He would have seized an instant victory.

Naruto looked on at Sasuke's distracted look. Feeling a bit guilty for rubbing it in, he decided to drop the topic altogether. "Hey, let's just call it even for now. I'm starving!" With his trademark chuckle, Naruto ran off toward a tree and plumped down on the grass. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a small bowl and a pair of chopsticks.

"Idiot, I won the match," Sasuke mumbled under his breath but followed Naruto anyway and sat down next to him. Reaching into his own bag, he pulled out a thin piece of cloth holding three nigiri.

"This is so good!" Naruto slurped the ramen in bulks, savoring each taste.

Sasuke could only take small bites of his food as he watched Naruto consume his ramen quicker than anyone else he'd ever seen eat. Somehow, the act was making him lose his appetite just a little. "You're annoying. How did you manage to make that anyway?"

Naruto quickly slurped some noodles and Sasuke scowled as some of the broth from the soup splattered on his face. "I kept it in this bowl Nee-chan gave to me. It keeps food warm so I just prepared the ramen before I left home. See? It's still warm after all this time." Naruto held the bowl out and Sasuke reached over with the back of his hand to feel the warmth radiate from the bowl.

"I didn't know you had a sister."

"Well, Usagi nee-chan isn't really my sister. But she's as close to family as it gets." Naruto bore a soft smile as he thought to how true that statement was. Ever since he lost his parents, he never really had much of a family. Iruka and Usagi were the only constants in his life. Occasionally he could depend on the old man Hokage but that was pretty much it as far as family went.

It must have been hard not to have a family for so long. Sasuke probably never would have admitted it to anyone, but he genuinely admired Naruto's strength. Not having a family was unfathomable and Sasuke selfishly wished he would never have to experience that kind of torment. But it was the very first part of his statement that stopped his thinking abruptly.

"Usagi?" He only knew of one Usagi and wondered if Naruto was referring to the same person.

"Yeah, that's her name, why?" Naruto felt a bit protective of Usagi and wondered why Sasuke held a sudden interest in her. It didn't matter. Usagi was _his_ sister, and he wasn't about to share that relationship with anyone just yet.

"I've just never heard you mention her before in the little time we've known each other. That's all." He secretly wanted to interrogate Naruto but also didn't want to come off as eager. Naruto might retract from the conversation. The girl he'd known as 'Usagi' was one of Itachi's admirers; he was sure of it. He dismissed it before as another Itachi fanatic but the gift she had given his brother remained adorned around his neck since that day. Even their parents had questioned the necklace to which Itachi simply replied that it had been a gift, nothing more, nothing less. This response didn't bode well with Sasuke and the curiosity pushed him into questioning his newly acquired friend.

Naruto smiled and rubbed his nose a bit. "Nee-chan is the best. Like whenever I go to her house, she always has ramen waiting for me. We hang out all the time at Ichiraku Ramen, and did you know she's already a Chuunin? We train a lot together, when she's not busy that is."

"What's she like?"

Naruto scrunched his brows momentarily at Sasuke's inquisitiveness, but the excitement overshadowed all his suspicions. "Well, she's…" He took a pause to try to come up with the right words and Sasuke stole a side glance as he continued to eat his lunch. Naruto wasn't quite sure what to say about her and scratched his head thoughtfully. "Well, she's pretty…and nice. She likes to help others."

Sasuke's face was bland. He obviously wasn't impressed. Based on that simple description of her, there was nothing particularly interesting or unique that differentiated her from any of the other females he'd come across.

As if sensing his critical view of her, Naruto decided to continue. "Nee-chan…she's the type of person you can't help but like when you meet her. But the more you get to know her, the more you realize there's more to her than what you originally thought. She always sticks by me, whether I'm sick with a fever or got a bad report card. And she's always getting me out of trouble whenever I screw up. I can't help but always want to be around her. She's never once left my side when I really needed her, and I never want her to either. When I _am _with her, I get this really warm feeling inside. I feel...I don't know, cared for. Is this what it feels like? To have a family, I mean."

Sasuke seemed to accept this answer more and smiled softly. "Yeah, I think so."

The amicable ambiance would have lasted longer if not for the time. Sasuke scowled when he realized they had been out training for far too long. He needed to get back in time for shuriken practice with his mom. It was one of the few times he actually got to train with her these days; it was far more important to him than a silly interrogation over a girl he didn't really know. "Well, I have to get going. I have to meet up with Kaa-san for more training."

"More training? You should take it easier…like me." Naruto quickly put away the bowl back into his bag and stood up to face Sasuke in the eye.

"Yeah, right. And end up dead last? You should take a hint and get more training."

The environment heated up, and the two were once again rivals. Naruto growled in irritation, and Sasuke smirked right before running off. "Loser cleans up. See ya, dobe!" He waved back right before running off towards the direction of his house.

Naruto surveyed the battleground and sighed as he looked at all the weapons that cluttered the ground. "Couldn't you have at least helped me, teme?" he mumbled grumpily. Knowing that complaining would do no good, he started with the pile closest to him and quickly gathered them into his bag.

"Next time, he won't be so lucky. If I can fool him with a moldy clone then a perfected one would get him next time, no doubt." And so Naruto vowed that the next time they fought he would be ready.

It wasn't until he stopped talking that he realized how eerie the place actually was. The trees had grown quite big and the density blocked out sunlight, even at high noon. Small rays of light occasionally sneaked through the thick branches and Naruto relied on what little light there was to spot the kunai and shuriken that were splayed around the floor. A chill passed through his skin, and it made him shudder. Leaves began to sway from the breeze and fell carelessly on the ground. "This place is creepier than I thought."

He mentally blocked out these distractions and finished cleaning the mess. "I almost forgot, I'm supposed to meet Nee-chan! I better hurry or I'll be late." He reprimanded himself on having forgotten such an important meeting. He promised Usagi after all. With weapons packed away, Naruto quickly ran off. Along the way, he looked up at the trees and surveyed everything around him. It was always the same each time he came into the forest.

The wind was always howling angrily…

The branches swaying spookily…

Birds chirping mockingly…

And the creepy sensation of eyes constantly watching his every movement…

* * *

Usagi blocked the rays of light from blinding her vision as she looked up towards the sky. The temperature was warm, and the sky was partly cloudy. It was overall beginning to look like a good day—the perfect day to run her errands. Now, if only Naruto would show up. She smiled softly at how alike the boy was to her; always late, eager and cheerful, excited about trying new things, temperamental when provoked, but most of all determined in anything set out to do.

Naruto may not have realized it, but he had definitely grown since she first met him. True, he was still a rash and loud child. He was always looking for conflict in order to further himself, but the hardships from a lack of family and the cold behavior of the village had helped him become more determined and focused, if only just to prove himself to everyone else.

"Speaking of which…" As if her thoughts conjured him up, she saw Naruto come running in her direction. "You're late, you know."

"Sorry I was busy training."

"Training? Were you with Iruka-san again?"

He frowned for a bit before shaking his head. "I was actually training with a new friend from the academy."

"You've made a new friend?! That's good! I'm so proud of you!" She reached over to hug him and he froze a bit, unsure if he should return the hug or not. But Usagi pulled back quickly and smiled down at him. "I told you everything would be all right. And you were so nervous! Now you have your very own sparring partner. Pretty soon you won't need me anymore." She giggled and ruffled his hair a bit.

He seemed a bit distant at that last statement. Usagi frowned but smiled softly right after. "Don't worry. Your Nee-chan will always be here for you. You're still a thousand years away from surpassing me so get comfortable because I'll be with you for a while longer," she smirked and mockingly flicked her hair in arrogance.

He smirked at this, seemingly amused. "If you say so."

"So, you ready to go?"

"Go?"

Usagi sighed and rolled her eyes playfully. "To help me run my errands, of course. That's why you came remember? I swear you're more of a scatterbrain than I am sometimes."

"Sorry..."

She smiled and hurried him along with the push of his back.

They reached their first destination: the Kino Bakery. "I need to visit with Mako-chan for a minute and pick up some spices from her. It shouldn't take too long."

Somehow he doubted that but nodded anyway. He was supposed to be helping her, so it wasn't his place to object.

Upon entering, he picked up the strong scents of the bakery: garlic, parmesan, butter. There was fresh bread somewhere behind the counter, probably where the kitchen was located. There was no mistaking the scent of newly baked bread, it was almost overwhelming. He watched as Usagi instinctively made her way to the kitchen, probably to find her friend.

"Mako-chan? Are you here?"

Tall…it was the first thing he noted—brunette was the next. Her height was an unusual trait for a woman, at least for him it was. He'd passed by the bakery a few times, but couldn't even recall if he'd seen her before. She was probably stuck in the kitchen most of the time.

"Usagi-chan, is that you? I haven't seen you in awhile!"

Usagi welcomed her embrace warmly and turned to Naruto who remained glued to his spot. She noted that he was trying to look away. _The poor boy must be really shy with strangers_. Grabbing his hand, she gently pulled him towards her. "Come here, I don't think you two have been formally introduced." She pulled him closer until he was standing right in front of her. "Mako-chan, this is Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto, this is Kino Makoto. She's a good friend of mine so be nice." She whispered the last part in his ear, and he felt her breath tickle his skin.

Figuring Usagi would be upset if he didn't comply, he bowed in respect and introduced himself courtly.

Makoto giggled a bit at how shy the boy came off. This was a stark contrast from the Naruto she'd heard that made such a commotion at the academy from the moment he entered—causing trouble, arriving late and insanely mischievous. He was very much like two other people she knew very well, but Makoto deduced Usagi and Minako wouldn't find that amusing at all. She gently took his hand and shook it. "I'm glad to meet you. Usagi has told me quite a bit about you. It's nice to finally see you in person."

He hesitated a bit, and she felt the need to reassure him. "All good things; don't worry."

"So do you have the spices?"

Makoto sighed and gently jabbed Usagi on her shoulder. "Honestly, we haven't seen each other in awhile and you're already asking me for stuff. I swear you're just like Minako. The two of you could pass off as sisters."

Usagi pouted. She didn't like being compared to Minako. It made her insecure because the woman overshadowed her in everything—beauty, confidence and combat. But that last part shouldn't come off as a surprise. Minako had been fighting longer than Usagi and was well on her way to becoming a Jounin. She, on the other hand, had only recently been promoted to Chuunin. It was one of the other reasons she liked being with Naruto; for once, someone actually admired _her_. A rare occurrence, it was, and it boosted her confidence if only just a little.

But she knew Makoto was only teasing so she shrugged it off easily and smiled nervously at her blunder.

"Hang on just a minute." Makoto disappeared for a minute before returning with a small parcel. "Ginger, garlic and my secret ingredient all mixed and pounded into a fine powder…you won't be disappointed. Make sure you add it during the preparation and not the cooking. Otherwise, you won't notice the taste. Now hurry up and get out of here. I've got my hands full as it is."

To anyone else it would have sounded rude, but Usagi knew Makoto understood her need for haste and so she thanked her friend before leaving.

"I'll catch up with you later, Mako-chan!"

"You better! And it was nice finally meeting you, Naruto-kun."

His lips formed a small but polite smile and he nodded before exiting through the glass doors.

* * *

Usagi reached over to her pocket and grabbed a small piece of paper. She crossed out "Kino Bakery" and assessed her next stop.

"We'll head over to the library, now. There are a few books I need to pick up. Your Nee-chan has a bit of studying to do."

His eyes sparkled with interest and wondered what it was she was set out to study but thought nothing of asking her. She'd tell him sooner or later.

The walk to the library was quite long. It was a little ways away from the bakery which wasn't so strange when you considered the nature of the two. He still wished these errands weren't spread out so far apart. It was becoming quite troublesome. But he wanted to spend some time with her and, of course, help her out should she need it.

Usagi looked at the stairs leading to the library and already felt exhausted. "I wish they had stairs that move by themselves."

He raised an eyebrow at the comment.

She blushed, reprimanding herself mentally for appearing childish in front of her little admirer. "Well you never know! Think about it. Don't you think it would make things easier if they had something like that? "

He smiled in amusement and agreed. "Yes, it would."

After scaling what Usagi called the "Stairway of Torture", they entered the peaceful environment of the library. It had grown progressively over the years. They added another story not too long ago and a new collection of books, mostly entertainment since the village deemed that the youth deserved a break from studies time to time. Unfortunately, Usagi couldn't afford to spend her time reading any new graphic novels. She was on a mission similar to Naruto's—to advance and prove her worth. With a newfound determination she marched right passed the manga collection and headed over to another part of the library.

_Atlas of the Human Anatomy: Volume I?_ He wondered what she was up to since this genre was completely uncharacteristic of her. The book itself was moderately advanced, something a ninja of medical experience would probably understand better but he figured she had her reasons—whatever they may be. He watched as she grabbed a few other books from various shelves, all pertaining to the body. She must have been using them to study the vital points of a ninja, to know where to strike and which strikes would be more effective.

He followed her closely as she moved around the library, balancing the books she chose with both of his hands. How he wished he had longer arms at the moment. "I think that's everything…" She trailed off when she took a look in the direction of another collection.

He glanced around the pile of books she coaxed him into caring and read the label on the shelves. _I knew it. _He smirked at how awful she was at concealing her emotions.

But despite her feelings, Usagi walked right passed that shelf as well and headed over to the long line right by the checkout counter.

She glanced down and noticed a pile of wobbly books swaying to and fro. _Ah! I'm so stupid!_ She grabbed the books from him and watched as he allowed his one free arm to stretch a little.

They honestly weren't heavy to him, just rather cumbersome to carry given his short stubby hands. Once she took all the books; however, he noticed a figure approaching them in line.

"Usagi-chan?"

Usagi turned around to face the owner of the voice and smiled when she recognized the face. "Ami-chan! What are you doing here? I thought you were working at the hospital this shift?"

"I am technically. I was here collecting some books on herbal medicine for my department when I noticed you and Naruto-kun. Are you here for the new collection of manga that just came in? They also have a new collection of romance novels that Minako-chan thought you might like."

Usagi glanced nervously at the boy who looked on with mild curiosity and amusement. "Of course not! Why would I be interested in _that_?! Actually I've come here for my research."

Ami's eyes widened with sincere fascination. "Really? That's great! What type of research are you doing?"

Usagi placed an index finger on her lips and winked teasingly. "It's a secret!"

Ami giggled and dropped the conversation. "Well I really have to get going. It's probably hectic back at the hospital as it is. I promise to catch up with you later. Bye Usagi-chan, Naruto-kun" She waved and jogged off, presumably to the hospital.

Usagi sighed and glanced down to see that he was staring at her. _Is he remembering about the manga and romance novels?_ She gulped and laughed nervously. "Let's just get these checked out…."

They made it to the front of the line after some time. She began to pass the books to the receptionist but paused when she came across one book that she hadn't picked out at all. _When did this…?_ She smiled and figured Ami must have slipped it in her bag. _Good old Ami-chan…_

He watched silently and she must have sensed this because she was once again nervous. "That's Ami-chan for you. Well, there's no going back now, right? I mean, we would have to get back in line all over again…"

He nodded and smiled when her back was to him.

* * *

The last of the errands was done. After picking up the spices, books and delivering other items to her friends, their job was complete.

"Sorry, I know running errands is a bit boring, especially for boys. So…how about I treat you to ramen?"

He nodded dumbly which earned him a quirked eyebrow. "Show a little more enthusiasm, will you? Or am I that boring?" She pouted teasingly.

It was adorable for some reason, and he laughed just in case he had hurt her feelings unintentionally.

Usagi allowed it to slip and she ushered him towards the direction of Ichiraku Ramen. It wasn't until she felt the presence of another person watching them that she halted.

"Out enjoying the day?"

Usagi's eyes squinted due to the sun blocking her vision. She smiled once she saw who it was. "Iruka-sensei, how are you today?"

"Just fine. I was actually out for a stroll when I ran into you two. Quite a coincidence, isn't it?"

The scratching of his head and the nervous chuckles were the first indicators. He rolled his eyes at the man's obvious intentions and wondered if Usagi suspected anything or at least picked up on his nervous behavior_._ But judging by how she politely continued to keep a conversation, he concluded the answer to be a 'no.'

"We were actually just on our way to eat. Why don't you join us? I'm sure Naruto doesn't mind. I bet you'd like that, right?" She glanced down at the boy and was surprised that he looked more annoyed than she expected. But Naruto was always a bit selfish when it came to them hanging out because it was less frequent in between his time at the academy and her missions—that…and a few other _private_ matters.

"I don't mind."

She knew that was a lie but was grateful that he conceded to share their time together with someone else.

Iruka wasn't oblivious to the tension, and he still sensed it as they arrived at Ichiraku Ramen. "Don't worry; it's my treat." He held the drapes of the sign away from Usagi and motioned her to enter. She accepted this kind gesture with a bow. Iruka watched Usagi enter and followed right after, accidentally letting the sheets fall carelessly. A small groan stopped him from following her inside the shop.

"Sorry Naruto. Knowing how excited you usually are about ramen, I figured you were already inside."

"It's fine," he grumbled and entered. Iruka watched as Naruto exhibited more annoyance than he usually did. He made a mental note to question him about it.

"Irasshaimasu…Usagi-chan, Naruto and even Iruka! Don't worry; I'll get the usual ready." Teuchi had originally greeted them like any other customer but upon seeing the faces of his regulars, he immediately began to prepare one of his specialties. Being used to it, the other three made their way towards their seats.

Iruka would have taken the seat next to Usagi had it not been for Naruto who gently sat next to her as if it was a reflex. _They've been hanging out way too much. But I'm glad Naruto is finally making more friends..._ Though he could have easily sat on the other side right next to her, he remembered wanting to talk to Naruto anyway and settled for the seat right next to him.

"Usagi-chan! You'll never guess what I found at the beauty shop today!" Usagi looked up to find Ayame holding a small case of cream near her face. "It's supposed to help exfoliate the body and unclog pores. It rejuvenates the skin and works really well."

"Really?! I've been looking for something new to try. The last few products I've come across haven't really helped a lot. My skin is beginning to peel and nothing I've bought so far has helped replenish it after that…"

Knowing that Ayame and Usagi would be distracted for quite sometime, Iruka decided to seize the opportunity and check up on Naruto. "You've been acting strange today. Care to share what's on your mind?"

"I'm fine…"

Iruka frowned, knowing he was purposely avoiding the subject. "Was it the bad grade I gave you the other day?"

He was met with silence.

"Or is it because I'm interrupting your time with Usagi?"

The glint in his eyes was unmistakable, so Iruka figured he'd hit the mark. He smiled at Naruto and patted his head. "I know how you feel about Usagi. She and I are the only close friends you really have. It must be hard not having a family. It's fine, Naruto. I understand what you're going through." _More than you'll ever know._

Iruka noticed he didn't appear to respond. If it wasn't for the fact that he'd known him for so long, he would've pinned his aloof actions as simply ignoring him. But he'd known him enough to suspect that he was quietly assessing his words; therefore, he decided to continue.

"But I want you to understand that just because I'm interested in Usagi, doesn't mean she and I will spend any less time with you should I pursue any relationship with her."

His eyes immediately snapped sideways, and Iruka swore he saw a hint of red. _Naruto, you'll never know how much of the nine-tailed fox consumes you, especially when you're angry._ It scared him more than he cared to admit.

"Let's just drop the subject for now okay?" He watched nervously, waiting for a reaction. The boy was unpredictable at times. "We don't want to ruin it for Usagi do we?" Iruka watched with satisfaction as he immediately complied.

It was perfect timing because Usagi finished her conversation and took a seat. "Sorry about that, you know how girls get." She brushed it off with a smile. "So what did you guys talk about while I was busy?"

Iruka figured it was safer if he responded in case Naruto tried to ruin the moment, as he usually did. "Nothing in particular—sports, battles. You know how men are, right?"

Usagi smiled and nodded. It was then that the food was served and they ate in silence.

* * *

They continued to walk through town together. Iruka noted that Naruto's attitude seemed to cool off. He glanced at the boy who was casually strolling ahead of them.

"This is quite a sight."

Iruka immediately stopped and turned around. The other two stopped as well and joined Iruka and three other figures.

Their rank was unmistakable, Jounin class. Iruka recognized his fellow comrades and decided a few minutes wouldn't hurt. Usagi was somewhat acquainted and wouldn't mind the distraction. He also wanted the chance to introduce Naruto to these important people. It would do the boy good to have a few more role models in order to whip him into shape.

"You guys look like a happy little family." This was said by Asuma who was currently taking a small puff from his cigarette. He meant nothing of it other than a tease but it created varied reactions. Iruka was suddenly quite nervous and the poor girl's cheeks bore a soft red. The younger boy, he noted, didn't find it at all humorous.

Usagi looked down and saw his forlorn expression. The 'family' bit probably conjured up bad memories so she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulders. "He's only teasing."

He looked up and registered the sincerity in her eyes he'd come to know. With a small nod he abandoned any dejected thoughts.

"Usagi, you know Asuma, Kurenai-san and Kakashi right?"

"Yes, I believe we met during the Chuunin exams. You were spectators weren't you?"

Asuma flicked his cigarette towards the ground and crushed it gently. "I'm honored you'd remember us. You did really well in the tournament. You ranked in the top tier and attracted quite a bit of attention with our neighboring villagers. The daimyo from the neighboring lands took quite a bit of interest in you," he eyed her suggestively.

Usagi blushed a bit. "It's not such a big deal, honestly. I think everyone did well."

Kurenai glared at Asuma in annoyance but figured he meant no harm from that statement. "There's no need for you to be so modest. We look forward at how well you'll progress. How's your team currently coming along? I heard you were currently under Team Haruka. "

"Yes, that's correct. She's my Jounin captain."

"Haruka's teams are always infamous for speed. It's no wonder why you were chosen for it. Just keep up the good work."

Usagi smiled at Kurenai and Asuma. The fact that they knew so much about her and her skills was quite flattering. Then again, as Jounin, they should know the people well. It was obvious they would recognize a top tier Chuunin. She shouldn't have thought about it any more than that.

Iruka glanced over at Kakashi in order to include him in the conversation. He didn't want him feeling left out, though, he knew the man wouldn't have cared one way or another if he was taking an active role in the conversation. Still, it was the courteous thing to do. The only problem was that Kakashi seemed fixated on only one person, staring at him intensely. He looked down at the boy who returned the same intense look right back at Kakashi.

"Hey, Naruto, you should introduce yourself. Any one of these Jounin could be your captain in the future."

He introduced himself politely and bowed. Iruka figured the child was nervous, after all, Kakashi and the others were high ranking Shinobi.

Asuma glanced at Kurenai who glanced back in return. "We better get going. Kurenai and I have some business to settle with before the end of the day. We'll see you kids later." And with those words, the two left briskly.

Kurenai winked at Usagi who looked back with a confused expression. She wasn't quite sure what Kurenai meant by it.

Kakashi caught the exchange and glanced back at the boy expectedly. He seemed to have caught the exchange as well; the action obviously disturbed him. The current predicament was becoming more interesting by the minute. "Iruka, I forgot to mention it before but the Hokage would like to speak with you. He'll be waiting for you back at the academy."

"How could you forget to tell me something like that?!" He was amazed at how composed Kakashi remained, even at critical moments. Sighing, he turned to Usagi with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Usagi-chan. Do you think you can make it back on your own?"

"It's all right. I have Naruto here with me after all." She placed a hand on his shoulder and he smirked, glancing at Iruka challengingly.

"Well, if you're sure…"

Kakashi stepped into the conversation willingly this time. "Don't worry about a thing, Iruka. I'll be joining these two for just a bit anyway," and he placed his two free hands on their heads as if to assure him.

Iruka was satisfied with this and nodded. He thanked Kakashi and vanished instantly.

"Were you two headed home?"

"Aa.."

Kakashi wasn't surprised he responded before Usagi. He had been eyeing him curiously, wondering what his motives were.

"We don't want to be any trouble for you. We can make it from here just fine."

Kakashi smiled at Usagi and waved that idea away leisurely. "It's no trouble at all. I _insist_…" he finished this last statement as he locked eyes with the boy, a challenge of his own.

"Why?" Once again, he expected the response, obvious discontent of his company was apparent from his tone.

"Well, it's because…." He thought about it carefully and glanced at the clouds as he always did. Having thought of an excuse, he glanced back at Usagi—a charming smile hidden underneath his mask. "Usagi here is too cute of company…."

Usagi blushed but her partner was less than content. He glared at Kakashi and wondered about _his_ intentions.

Kakashi sensed the glare but dismissed it immediately. "Oh don't worry." He bent down and patted the boy on the head. "I think you're cute too."

Usagi sighed and conceded defeat. Kakashi could be very persuasive at times and she blamed that aloof charm of his. It would do no good to argue.

They continued their uneventful stroll to her house. It was peaceful and less tense than the walk with Iruka, aside from the occasional glances Kakashi gave the young boy, all the time wondering what exactly he was doing.

They walked right through town casually until Usagi became distracted by the nearby dango shop. She didn't want to appear childish in front of a captain who had probably outgrown childish behavior long ago or in front of Naruto who looked up to her as a big sister. Thus, she tried desperately to focus her attention away but it was too late.

Kakashi caught the look Usagi had not too long ago and deduced easily that she was craving the sweet contents found within the shop. He suspected even the kid was aware. Knowing neither would stop, he decided to take the initiative himself. "I think I could use some dango and tea. It's been awhile since I last had them. Do you two mind if we make a small detour? My treat."

Usagi instantly perked. "I don't mind!" She caught herself just in time when she noticed Kakashi and Naruto were both a bit surprised at her sudden reaction. "I mean, it's okay with you, right Naruto?"

"Sure…"

"All right then, just step right inside."

Pulling back the drapes, he watched in confusion as the boy entered first, seemingly more eager than Usagi but shrugged it off. He was probably happy about getting a free treat. He made his way over to the small benches and noticed that the kid was situated right next to her. On cue, the little blonde turned around and sent him a stern look. Kakashi smiled knowingly and decided that he would also sit next to Usagi. He made his way over to her right side and gently pushed her so she would slide down. He leaned his head back to see right passed Usagi and sure enough received another glare intended just for him.

They ordered a simple dish of dango and Kakashi decided to avert his attention to the couple in front of him. Usagi was obviously grateful for the treat. She reminded him of a young energetic puppy. And he was sure if she _were_ one, that her tail would be wagging vigorously side to side as the yelps of her excitement echoed throughout the shop. The other one, however, was reminding him of a sour cat who had just been drenched with a pail of water. He stopped glaring some time ago and was displaying hidden annoyance. Kakashi doubted Usagi noticed just how annoyed the boy was. She was probably passing it off as mere antics.

"Here you are, sorry for the wait." The waitress set their trays down and handed them hot cups of green tea. "Please enjoy."

Kakashi thanked her and watched the two eat their sweets. Usagi was not hiding her appreciation whereas the boy was silently consuming his. He seemed more fixated on the tea at the moment.

It wasn't long until Usagi was completely done with her dango. "Those were so good!" She quickly wiped her mouth and began to sip her hot tea quietly. "It's too bad they only give us so many. The happiness ends far too soon."

This seemed to give Kakashi an idea. He looked down at his tray and noticed that there were only two he actually consumed from his second skewer. He figured Usagi would appreciate them more than he would. He honestly hadn't been in the mood for them today. "Would you like mine, then? I think I'm rather full." A wicked glint managed to escape his eyes and he figured his target caught it because all at once, the cup sat quietly on the table and his eyes observed him carefully.

"I couldn't possibly…" Usagi's sentence remained unfinished, for Kakashi held out his skewer close to her face.

Leaning on one hand casually against the table, Kakashi used his free hand to offer the dumplings to Usagi. "It's no problem at all. Go right ahead…" and he pressured her a little more by letting the skewer close in near her mouth.

Usagi blushed and nervously refused. "No really, I'm okay. Thank you anyway but…."

"No it's quite all right. I don't mind…one… bit. Go on…" And he prompted it closer each moment he spoke.

Usagi glanced down at the skewer. It was a bit weird to have someone feed her, which was why she refused. But the more she looked at them, the more tempting they became. She watched the dango sitting there peacefully on the skewer: taunting her, coaxing her, begging to be eaten. Deciding the safest way to consume them would be to grab them herself, she stretched her arm and reached out until she realized the skewer was no long resting casually between his fingers. Kakashi seemed to notice this as well and the two turned to the culprit who now possessed an extra batch of dango he hadn't before.

Kakashi smiled as if he calculated his movements. The kid was fast, not even his eyes caught that move.

Usagi was less forgiving and began her scolding. She locked her arm around his neck and began rubbing his head rather harshly.

Kakashi stopped paying attention somewhere in between the "rude" "selfish" and "apologize." He paid the bill and joined the other two who were waiting outside. One was fuming while the other was rubbing his head, probably from where he'd been hit.

She looked at him and bowed. "I'm very sorry, Kakashi-sensei. He honestly isn't usually this rude. Naruto, _apologize_!" She growled the last part harshly and pushed his head down as he apologized, though, probably only to please her, Kakashi figured.

"It's no problem at all." The boy was no longer looking at him. "Unfortunately though, I have to get going. I'm sorry I can't walk you all the way back. But you should be okay. After all, you have Naruto for protection, don't you?" He added the last bit teasingly but there was no response to this comment. He was probably happy the source of distraction was leaving.

"All right then, ja na…" and with a simple wave Kakashi vanished.

"What is with you today?!"

He avoided her eyes but seemed guilty just the same. Usagi merely sighed and flicked her fingers across his forehead. "You little trouble maker. Let's get going."

Her mood seemed to lighten up and he accepted it without questions.

* * *

What a day it had been so far. She wasn't counting on Naruto to be such a pain. Sure, he usually liked to cause trouble in order to get attention but he was acting fairly peculiar today. She would question him when they got back to her home. For the moment, she decided to take pleasure in the walk and look at the stores as they continued to walk.

On her right there were three clothing stores located right next to each other. One store targeted an older class, she could tell by the solid purple floating dresses. They were much too old for her taste and so she dismissed the store altogether. The next store was completely out of the question; she had no use for men's clothes and the only few men in her life were difficult to shop for, anyway. The third, however, piqued her interest. But Naruto had been subjected to more shopping than any boy should handle at his age; therefore, she ignored the temptation.

It would have been better if they just headed straight home. Any wise ninja would have drawn up the same conclusion, but her curiosity of the stores they were passing up overwhelmed her. Had she known what she would encounter that day, she might have ignored her curiosity. But being the ignorant girl she was, she succumbed to the desire and found herself right in front of an expensive jewelry shop. _Hopefully, Naruto won't mind._

Her fixation on the glass displays was quite obvious. Necklaces, bracelets and rings adorned the exterior displays. She could tell they weren't real; they were just for show but if the fake jewels looked this, nice she could only imagine what authentic silver and white gold must look like. She glanced at Naruto who was actually looking at the jewelry with careful scrutiny. These types of things never really interested children; he was most likely starting to get bored again, which was why she was surprised when he spoke.

"Do you want to go inside?"

It startled her, but he was probably being polite. Even so, she appreciated it and nodded.

They entered the shop and immediately, the chimes of bells reached their ears. The salesclerk, like clock work, came to greet them.

"Welcome, please come inside and have a look around."

He stopped for a minute and gave her a once over with a subtle frown. Usagi was out of ninja attire since there was no work for her that day. She bore a simple light blue sundress, and matching homemade ribbons to tie her pigtails. To anyone else, it would have looked cute and modest, but the shopkeeper was obviously not impressed. It was no surprise why he left the two to shop on their own while he helped a new couple that entered the shop just then.

Usagi ignored the rude man. She wondered why she bothered to enter at all but decided since they were already inside they may as well look around.

The first glass case they came across was a showcase for their newest line of rings. She'd never seen so many in one place. There were many promise rings, some friendship rings, but mostly engagement rings. And a ring for her right now would be meaningless, especially an engagement ring since she didn't have a boyfriend let alone a fiancée.

With a small sigh of dejection at remembering how single and lonely she was, she made her way over to more appropriate jewelry.

He stared at her and watched as she abandoned the rings and headed straight for necklaces and bracelets. She must have come to the same conclusion, that those rings were inappropriate. She moved on to the other side of the shop. It was probably better anyway; they were far away from the rude salesclerk. When his gaze switched from watching the man back to Usagi, he noted her interest in the silver jewelry. He walked up beside her and inspected the jewelry himself.

"There are some gold ones over there." He pointed to another section but Usagi shook her head.

"I think silver is prettier, don't you?"

He shrugged. He honestly didn't know the difference. Jewelry was jewelry. The only true difference and special meaning was from whom it was received.

The next few minutes were spent silently surveying the jewelry. The man continued to talk to the other customers who obviously had more money than she did. It didn't matter; she doubted she could afford to buy anything from this store so the man wasn't off in his assessment of her.

She walked by the case leisurely until a small glint caught her eye. There, in the corner was the most unique bracelet she'd ever seen. The straps had small silver chains wrapped around each other, intertwining with two signature designs as the centerpiece. Kasasagi, she realized upon closer inspection. The two birds were facing each other with each wing connecting with the other. Usagi remembered them from the legend of Orihime. She looked back at Naruto who just approached her at the display.

"Do you know the story of Orihime?"

The shaking of his head encouraged her to continue.

"A long time ago when the universe was young, there lived a king and his daughter. On the banks of the Amanogawa, Orihime would weave beautiful robes for her father. The father was always happy to receive these from his daughter so in order to please him, she would keep weaving. But Orihime became lonely. Her father would spend most of his time ruling while she weaved day after day. Well one evening, Orihime came to the bank of Amanogawa by herself; there, she found a bridge to the other side. It was a different world entirely. She saw an orchard of berries, Kasasagi chirping happily and little calves running across a field. Then…" Usagi smiled to herself.

He watched with hidden interest as her cheeks turned a pink hue.

"Then, she met a young man on the fields herding the calves, and they fell in love at first sight. His name was Hikoboshi and not being able to bear without her for long, asked to meet her every day at sunset. The young lovers would see each other every day after that. But…then the troubles began."

"Troubles?"

She was glad the story wasn't boring him. Most children his age didn't really buy into this type of story and she supposed it would appear rather silly to boys.

"Well, Orihime and Hikoboshi began to meet so much that they neglected their work. The king no longer received the beautiful robes from his daughter and the little calves had no one to protect them from predators. It made both worlds very sad. One day while Orihime was sneaking across the bridge, the king caught her. Enraged by her deception, he used his powers to destroy the bridge. The young couple stared across the river to the other side as the sun began to set. Orihime still came every night to the banks of the bridge, but she was very sad when she remembered Hikoboshi and would then begin to cry. Hikoboshi too was so sad that he would remember her and both lovers neglected their work once again. One day, the king, feeling the despair of his daughter, agreed to let her meet her lover. Delighted, Orihime ran off towards the banks but stopped at what she saw. She remembered that the bridge had been destroyed by her father and she once again, began to cry. A breeze picked up just then and a flock of Kasasagi came flying by. They told her not to be sad because Hikoboshi's world was being flooded by her tears. They agreed to help her cross the river, only if she stopped crying. Afraid of the dangers Hikoboshi might have come across from her tears, she agreed. The Kasasagi grouped together and formed a bridge from their wings. Orihime ran across, happy that she would get to see her lover once again. The two united but not without some restrictions. The king demanded that they not neglect their work or disturb the balances of their worlds. If the two would continue their work, then they would be allowed to meet once a year, when the Kasasagi migrated to the banks of the Amanogawa—the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. Sad to only seeing each other so little but grateful to have the opportunity, they agreed."

"And because of that, the two could only meet once a year. That's the significance of this bracelet. It marks the intertwined destinies and this part here…" she pointed to the centerpiece "…symbolizes the connection of two souls. That through even despair, there is hope."

"But it's too bad. This would've made a good necklace. A perfect fit for me…" She paused when his gaze fell intently on hers again.

"I mean, not that I was thinking of buying it or anything. Haha, you probably don't even understand any of this stuff anyway. After all, you're only a child."

He smiled. "Ah, I am"

She sighed to herself as she thought about how envious she was of the couple. Orihime had someone who loved her unconditionally. Right now, she'd settle for a simple date to the movies.

Her soft giggles confused him but he was pretty much used to her crazy antics and so didn't bother her with questions.

They continued to survey the jewelry a bit more but for the first time since they entered, Usagi was actually distracted from looking further. He figured it was just the sound of the bells again. And sure enough, the old man was right on the customer's tail.

"Welcome to…oh, Mamoru-san, back again? Have you finally decided on something this time?"

"I'm still searching around. Do you mind if I take a look?"

"Not at all. Help yourself." The phone rang at that moment, and the clerk excused himself.

Usagi tensed immediately, he noticed from the way her hands clenched tightly and her back straightened. Her eyes looked distant and he swore she was holding back tears from the way they glistened. She whispered something under her breath but not even his sharp hearing was able to catch it.

She should have listened to her instincts, should have walked away when she had the chance. Her ignorance brought her here, and she prayed that he wouldn't see her. Maybe they could walk away quietly. He wouldn't even notice. She looked over at Naruto, grabbed his hand hastily and began to lead him towards the door. He was distracted with something on the other side of the room so it gave her the perfect chance. "Come on, let's go," she whispered harshly.

Her hand was a little tighter than he was used to but thought nothing of it. It was obvious she was avoiding this man, and he was slightly curious as to why. But judging from her present state, it was best they just leave.

Usagi almost let out a breath of relief when they made it right to the door. The gods, however, must not have been in her favor that day because right as she reached for the handle, another chime rung throughout the shop. And she met eyes with someone she had been trying to avoid ever since that fateful day.

"Well, what do we have here?"

Her face paled and the grasp she held on the boy tightened painfully. He looked up from where he was situated and locked eyes with a strawberry blonde-haired woman.

"I never expected someone of your class to be in a store as glamorous as this. Anyway, what was your name again? Unagi, wasn't it?"

"It's U-_sa-_gi." She hoped her tone came off as angry, but the woman obviously caught on to her fear. It was probably because her voice quivered more than it should have.

"Of course it was." The woman brushed away a stray strand of hair, appearing uninterested of the girl in front of her.

Sarashina Kotono, he remembered now. She was a prestigious ninja of high rank and from a very wealthy family. It was a few years ago when he stumbled upon that name. He didn't recall any details but he did remember her being a little more polite than she was coming off right now.

"Kotono, have you decided on anything?"

She froze when his eyes came into contact with hers. Her mind screamed at her to leave, while she could save some dignity. But her feet weren't cooperating, and she stupidly stood there in front of him. The man who had abandoned her years ago…for the sake of his family's name.

By unfortunate timing, the salesclerk decided to return at that moment.

"How are we all doing today?" He was either unaware of the tension or feigning ignorance.

Usagi was unable to respond.

Kotono sensed this and decided to prove the superiority of higher class by showing the girl just how confident and composed she could be. "Keijiro-san, it's been awhile. I've been trying to get my lazy excuse of a man here to buy me this beautiful ring we saw the other day." The word 'my' was said with a slight emphasis, as if to put Usagi in her place.

"We actually have some special orders that came in today. Would you like to go see them?"

"Of course! I can only imagine what they must be."

Keijiro turned to his other two customers of which he shrugged off long ago. As a sign of courtesy he decided to offer some help. "Was there anything you were interested in young lady?"

Usagi's mouth opened to respond but Kotono's shrill laughter stopped her abruptly.

"That's hilarious, Keijiro-san! I doubt this woman could afford the fake jewelry out on display with her meager salary let alone any of your fine gold and silver."

She walked over to Usagi and flicked her blue ribbons. "You're out of your league sweetie." Usagi caught on to the double meaning but said nothing.

Kotono had no insecurities in her relationship with Mamoru, at least not when the competition was a woman who had no name for herself—no prestige or class. And so she followed Keijiro over to the backroom, abandoning her lover completely.

Mamoru watched Usagi frozen in front of him. She seemed more interested in her shoes than anything else. He knew she wouldn't make the first move, so he walked a bit closer to her.

"Usa…"

She wasn't sure whether it was his voice or the endearment, but it broke her out of her daze.

She held back the tears and plastered on a fake smile, even forgetting that boy that was still with her.

"Mamoru-san, how are you doing today?"

He knew she was faking the smile but decided it was less troubling to play along. "I'm fine, just shopping for a ring."

"For your fiancé…" that much was obvious but she felt compelled to voice it anyway.

"Yes…"

Usagi inhaled a deep breath of air and continued the charade. "Congratulations! Really, I'm excited for you. I hope you two will be very happy together so um, we'll get going and congratulations again." She grabbed Naruto's hand and made a dash for the door.

"Usako…"

It was that name that made her stop abruptly.

"I never meant to hurt you. If it had been under different circumstances…"

She didn't bother to look back but simply nodded. "I know…" was all she said before leaving the store. She didn't see the sincere look of sadness on his face, nor the confused glances shot between the two.

* * *

He didn't want to pressure her, honestly. But he had been surprisingly curious about the events from earlier. Mostly because Usagi had been all too quiet as she prepared him tea. Instead of pestering her, however, he sat silently at the dining table as she busied herself in the kitchen.

The tea was brewing, he could tell by the soft hissing of the steam from the kettle. It was hot enough to leave traces of moisture on the wooden cabinets. He noticed her flooring was also wood; it creaked each time he applied small pressure with his foot. He glanced around and looked at the walls; many paintings were hung around, mostly of landscapes. The shelves boarded on the walls had several framed pictures. All of them with different people, some of which he never met. His eyes circled the room and noted other things such as a small hallway which he assumed led to her bedroom, several more frames and then his eyes traveled right back to the kitchen. It was just now he noticed a vase of flowers on the counter…white lilacs.

He thought about the irony of such a flower.

Some of the weapons he'd used before had handles made from the wood upon which lilacs flowered. And here she was with a vase sitting on the counter as a decorative piece.

Usagi chuckled as she set his tea cup down. "Why are you looking at my place like that?"

He leaned on one hand as he brought the tea closer to his mouth. "How?"

"Like it it's the first time you've seen it."

The fingers that held the cup's handle twitched a bit. He glanced around nervously then kept his gaze on the wooden tiles of the room, deciding it best to change the subject. "Who was that man…at the jewelry shop?"

Usagi's fingers slipped and she winced, accidentally sipping more of the hot tea than she should have. "Stupid tea, it's too hot." She walked off toward the kitchen with her tea, having spilled some its contents on the table. She reached over to grab a napkin from the spindle and cursed silently when the sheet wouldn't rip easily. The encounter with Mamoru had left her a wreck but she didn't want to let Naruto see her break down so easily because of one person.

He observed her carefully. She was muttering some things to herself and her brows were scrunched up, marring her face with anger and frustration. The look was definitely not something he was used to seeing on her, and he realized right then that it did not suit her at all.

She returned with a napkin and he seemed guilty for asking. He didn't push it anymore and watched as she cleaned up the mess on the table hastily. He returned his attention back to the cup and continued to sip alone at the table. He did not expect her to stay on the subject which is why her next words surprised him.

"We used to date, Mamoru and I. We broke up some time ago. I guess it still hurts sometimes. I'm sorry; I shouldn't have overreacted in front of you like that."

He nodded and she headed back to the kitchen, probably to throw away her napkins.

"Why?"

She turned around to face him and realized he wasn't even looking at her but staring at the tea in his cup, avoiding her gaze.

"If you don't want to answer, it's fine." He continued to sip the tea.

Usagi glanced at her clock. It was getting late in the afternoon and she didn't want to keep him from his studies. She was debating on whether or not she should say anything; only her close friends knew about it so it was only right that she tell him. After all, he was now her only family. So with a sigh, she sat back down at the table.

"I wasn't good enough."

He looked up in surprise. That wasn't quite the answer he expected and so silently asked her to continue.

"I wasn't good enough…for his family I mean. They wanted someone who could offer the family something more. I guess I'm just like you, Naruto. People like us, without families, without prestige…we don't always belong. His family saw that and told him to call it off. I wasn't good enough without wealth or a remarkable lineage. I suppose the family tried to work their way up the social ladder, marry into another wealthy family in order to gain recognition. We continued to date despite the pressures from his parents. All the while, he always told me that none of that mattered and that as long as I was with him, it was enough. I was more important to him than wealth or class, more important than anything else…"

She smiled sardonically and his eyebrows creased in worry.

"One day, upon my return from a long mission, I began to hear nasty rumors. Of course, they didn't get to me. I don't always buy into that kind of gossip. But then, I saw him…with _her_. They were..." She released a heavy breath before continuing. "We broke it off, naturally, or rather _he _did. I had no say in the matter; he moved on into another relationship behind my back. If he didn't want to be with me, he should have just said so; instead of lying to me and stringing me along with false hope."

Despite the obvious temptation, she didn't shed a tear. That still didn't wash away the sadness on her face. He waited patiently for her to recollect her thoughts.

"But why should any of that matter? Clans, lineage, social hierarchies…why are they so important? How was any of that relevant? It just makes you lose sight of what's truly important!" She stopped, even surprised with herself at how angry she had gotten. It had apparently startled _him_ as well because he was staring at her in shock.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell like that. I feel better, honestly."

He didn't believe her completely but didn't object to it.

"After that incident, I promised myself that I would prove them wrong. I would become stronger, faster, and smarter—then maybe even without a proud heritage, somebody could still see my value. At first, I admit, I was doing it to try to win him back, but I began to realize what we shared wasn't true love. True love can't be based off of companionship alone. The excitement of a relationship, the feeling of knowing someone could care about you so much…it felt nice, I guess. So I gave up on trying to win him back and instead focused on becoming better for myself, so that I could feel more confident and happy. Then… eventually, I found someone else to become stronger for." She smiled to herself and released a heavy sigh. Somehow, telling Naruto all this really helped relieve the stress that had built up all these years. The boy was surprisingly a good listener.

"Who?"

She frowned and looked over at him. "What do you mean 'who'?"

"You said you found someone else to become stronger for."

She blushed and her eyes widened slightly. Had she said that? "I said some_thing…_didn't I?"

"No, you said some_one_."

"Well I _meant_ some_thing_. And let's just drop the subject okay?"

He shrugged nonchalantly and complied with her wishes.

"That reminds me, you were telling me about your new friend, the one from the Academy. What's his name again?"

He looked surprised for a second but quickly recomposed himself. "Uchiha Sasuke."

Usagi seemed a bit surprised herself and smiled right after hearing the name. "Oh, so your friends with _him_? That's good. Sasuke-kun should be able to teach you a few things. What were you two doing today?"

"Just training."

"Any matches?"

"Just one…"

"Did you win?"

He shook his head to which Usagi smiled sadly. "Is that why you've been acting so weird today? You shouldn't let it bother you. It's just one match. Besides, I bet it made Sasuke-kun happy. I'm sure it'll give him something to brag about. I doubt it rarely happens."

He snapped his eyes up towards hers. "What do you mean?" he demanded instantly.

"Sasuke-kun is constantly living in the shadow of his older brother. In order to compete with him, he has to work twice as hard. Don't you think it would make him happy to go home and tell his brother he won a real live battle against his fellow comrade? It would make his parents proud too."

"Hmm… So Sasuke has a brother?" He was fidgeting with his teacup and stealing side glances at her.

Usagi was startled for some reason. He wondered why.

"Well…yes. His name is Uchiha Itachi. He's captain of Anbu and a high ranking Shinobi."

"You sound as if you know him."

She faltered and ruffled her hair furiously, a habit she picked up when she was nervous... "Well I'm a Chuunin after all. It's my job to be well informed. And besides, the guy is well known in Konoha for the progress he's made in just a short amount of time. He's the pride of his clan and a natural prodigy. All ninjas know him! Why don't you?"

He glanced at her sideways, curiously wondering what she really thought of him. Judging from the way she was talking, she was quite aware of his accomplishments. "So what do you think of him?"

She gulped nervously. "What?"

"This Itachi, what do you think of him?"

She giggled nervously and waved away the question. "What do you mean what I think of him? That's completely irrelevant."

"Then I'm curious." It was the first time he was genuinely paying attention to her since he abandoned his cup and stared up at her with a vague smile.

She sighed heavily and looked away. Naruto was very close to her, and she needed to learn to trust him. She already blurted out her tragic past; it wouldn't hurt to be honest about other things. "Honestly…I admire him a lot."

He seemed to be intrigued and looked up towards her, completely focused on what she would say next.

"He's well respected by everyone in the village and the pride of his clan. He's everything a ninja should be and yet…I don't know. He's always so calm about it. Like none of it even matters. At first I thought that he was arrogant and rude, but now I think he doesn't let the fame get to him because it's _not_ important. I think deep inside, he finds those things trivial. He pushes himself to better _only_ himself—his clan, his position, none of that is relevant. I think to myself 'Finally, someone who feels what I feel.' It made me really happy and for the first time in a long time, I found myself smiling a lot again. When he's near, I can feel my pulse race and I get excited just seeing him. Everyday I think, 'When will I see him next, I wonder?' And, yet, every time I _do _see him, he's always there: cool, confident, and composed. It's quite different from me. So someday, I want to be more like him. Maybe, I could be a little happier with myself. And then, maybe he'll notice _my_ value…" She quickly placed her hands on her mouth, afraid that she would continue to speak if she didn't. Turning slowly to Naruto, she waited for his barrage of a million questions. In her rambling, she had not realized how much truth she blurted out. No one was supposed to know how she felt about Itachi or that the two secretly met. She waited but nothing came from him. So she slowly locked eyes with his and was surprised at what she saw.

His eyes were completely fixated on her, intense and focused. It was strange but the way he was looking at her right now sent a sensation through her body, and she felt her heart beat a bit faster. She tried desperately to focus on anything but his eyes and tucked away some stray strands of hair behind her ear nervously. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

He didn't know how he'd been looking at her, truthfully, but figured it was best to leave now just the same. "Actually, I need to get going. I forgot that I was meeting with Iruka-sensei later today. I hope you don't mind."

"No, it's okay. You go on now. But be careful okay?" Maybe he wasn't being as observant as she originally thought. He probably got bored, stopped listening sometime ago and was lost in his own thoughts. Though she found that a bit rude, she thanked fate for making him absent minded and dense, grateful that maybe she could get away with being so careless.

He nodded and she led him towards the door.

"And make sure you act up all right? I don't want to hear Iruka-san complaining about you again. Got it?" She added sternly with an accusing finger.

"I got it…" he smiled nervously and looked away in order to avoid her reprimanding gaze.

She laughed and leaned over to place a chaste kiss on his temple. "Thanks for all your help today. I really appreciated it."

His eyes widened and his muscles tensed immediately. She felt this and decided to tease him. "Don't be so stiff. It's not everyday a pretty girl kisses you, so you should feel lucky."

"Aa…" he added dumbly, unable to concentrate on her exact words. He ran off before she could make him any more nervous.

He watched her only once as she closed the door and looked up at the sky. It couldn't be anymore than half passed four. That would give him plenty of time to make one quick trip before he really had to head home.

* * *

"I honestly don't know what to make of him. I hope it's just a phase he's going through."

Itachi sighed as Usagi stumbled to dodge the projectiles. "Usagi, don't lose focus."

"Sorry. Hey, Itachi-san what do you think is wrong with him?"

"Don't strafe right now, you're wide open for attack," he tactfully evaded the question.

Usagi bounced off a tree to evade his attack and landed gracefully. She figured he had not been paying attention and was getting quite annoyed with him. "Uchiha Itachi! Have you been listening to anything I was saying?!"

Truthfully he had been listening somewhat but didn't want to partake in the conversation. He was also finding it really hard to pay attention to her without getting nervous, something he'd never felt before. His mind was currently occupied by a personal dilemma; therefore, he resorted to selective retention when it came to Usagi's incessant talking.

"You were talking about your friend and how annoying he was to you yesterday." He looked at her to see if she accepted his answer and she did.

"Oh, so you _were_ listening. Well anyway, the day started off okay. We were doing just fine until Iruka-san showed up…"

One shuriken flung sharply right passed her left leg. Usagi looked on nervously, wondering why that particular shuriken seemed to reach the tree bark faster than the others.

"Okay…and then Iruka-san treated us to ramen…"

Another one flew by just as quick and she barely dodged it in time. She frowned at how slow she was moving…or maybe they were just flying faster?

"Then Kakashi-sensei took us out for dango and when he offered me some, Naruto completely swiped the skewer out of his hand! Can you believe that?!"

Two weapons flung right by her eyes at precise speed and timing. Usagi's eyes grew wider and she looked nervously at her sparring partner. "Itachi-san?"

"Keep going…"

And so she did.

"Then we went by the jewelry store and…" she wanted to avoid talking about Mamoru so she skipped straight to when they arrived at her place "…then we headed back to my place. He seemed to lighten up after that. Boys, they're weird. Anyway, he said he had to leave so I kissed him goodbye…"

That did it for Itachi and his shuriken flew out of his fingers faster than he intended them too. The only problem was up until then, he had been tossing maybe three at most. That last statement caused him to lose his grip and all of them flew right towards Usagi. She tried her best to dodge them and avoid any damage to her body. Her clothes, however, weren't as fortunate, and she found that the shuriken had her pinned deep into the tree behind her. She struggled to get her limbs to move, but her arms were pinned sloppily to one side as her legs remained nailed apart.

"Hey, what's gotten into you?! Have you lost your mind?! When I get out of here, I'm going to…"

He wanted to help her out, truly he did. But he figured this was the best way to solve his problem. And so without bothering to get her down, he walked away quietly.

Usagi noticed too late and began to shout inappropriate remarks, mostly on how she would rip apart every bone and organ on his body—while he was still alive to feel it. But she knew he was long gone by now and so she carefully yanked one arm free in order to pluck the rest of the shuriken out of her clothes. The sounds of ripping fabric caused her to flinch. Oh yes, the Uchiha owed her a new wardrobe. She scowled as she inspected more holes in her clothes. The ensemble was beyond salvation. She grabbed her bag angrily and dumped the rest of the weapons hastily inside.

"That coward…leaving a poor, cute defenseless girl like me all alone. And tied to a tree no less! Next time I see him, I'll make sure to…" she stopped her ranting when she noticed that a few shuriken were still stuck to the tree, and they were pinning down some kind of object. Usagi scanned her surroundings with narrowed eyes; the object seemed rather suspicious. She jumped up quickly and yanked the weapons out with a few good tugs. Sure enough, a small crimson box fell on the floor. She picked it up carefully and pointed it away from her body, just in case it contained some kind of explosive or poisonous gas. Once the box was completely open and nothing foreign had popped out in an attempt to kill her, she began to survey the contents inside.

She didn't care how, when or even why.

Maybe it was luck.

Maybe it was fate.

All she knew was that her feet began to move by themselves in the direction of a certain Uchiha.

* * *

The sun was beginning to rise. Shades of purple, yellow and light pink began to glow from the few rays of light that escaped the sun. It was a sight he rarely treated himself to. Occasionally, he would perch on this very tree branch and indulge in this pastime whenever he got the chance to train. Despite what some people believed, he enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. It gave him a bit of relief from the stress. This was the first time, however, that he actually had company with him.

The cool breeze disappeared when warm arms wrapped around his waist and a soft body pulled itself close to his.

He closed his eyes and savored the moment.

"You remembered, thank you. I love it."

Usagi smiled at the newly adorned bracelet and rubbed her head a bit on Itachi's shoulder. She didn't think she meant that much to him and was surprised he remembered her birthday present. It was a few days after and she was certain she never told him. He must have figured out through his own methods, connections with the Uchiha police and all. Still, that didn't explain why he bothered to get her anything anyway. Maybe she really meant something to him.

Itachi said nothing but allowed her to continue hugging him. Usagi was sitting right next to him and made another bold move when she grabbed his hand and wrapped it around her body.

He told himself that she was just being Usagi. It was just another one of her quirks. He allowed himself to believe that it was because she was too cold from the breeze. His body would help stimulate more warmth and thus prevent any type of sickness. That way, her missions wouldn't be affected and she wouldn't yell at him later on for allowing her to catch a cold. Besides, it would be rude to push her away and it was far too early to pick a fight with her.

And so, he sat there silently and felt her body squirm. He let her bury herself deeper into his embrace, allowed her warmth to envelop his entire body.

The same warmth that greeted him yesterday, when soft lips gently brushed against his skin…

**End**

* * *

Did you catch on? From what part? I hope you did, I tried to make it look really obvious and drop in hints everywhere.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**1. **Kasasagi are magpie and are the birds in the original story of Orihime.  
**2. **The story of Orihime varies between cultures. The Chinese and Japanese stories share similarities and differences on details but the story is essentially the same. This version was derived from a Japanese friend of mine and her family. The mother told the story to her and she translated it to me.  
**3. **Sarashina Kotono is an actual Sailor Moon character from the manga. The girl in my dreams didn't have a face or name. Instead of going with cliche Beryl/Rei/Natusmi, I decided a completely different approach.  
**4**. Strafing in military terms means when a plane attacks land targets while still airborne at low altitudes. It is now being used in another context to mean attacking while mid-air in general.  
**5. **For the sake of this story, Naruto is unaware of his connections with Yondaime. I believe he didn't even know until later, anyway. And since this story doesn't fit in with any specific timeline, well it doesn't really matter now, does it?  
**6. **Unagi is a type of eel in Japanese. An obvious insult to Usagi.

* * *

Now with that said onto the dedications...

**Moony92**: Thank you for your ongoing support. I've slipped in a little something of yours into this story as a dedication. Gee I wonder what they are *cough* white lilacs* cough*. But I hope you saw the 'double irony' in what was said about them. haha

**Angel:** Well is that enough 'appreciation' for you? :P Thanks for reviewing!

**Purr:** I don't think I'm THAT good but thank you for the review. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Ironically, Sasuke is not one of my favorite characters but I don't let that affect my writing. So I try to keep a balance of what he COULD have been and what he really is. I love chibi Sasuke, don't get me wrong. But the current events in the manga have left me somewhat upset. Anyway, thank you for reading once again. Gosh I feel like Usagi, repeating things already said and done...

**Cygnea:** I was quite surprised to see a review from you. I've read a lot of your works and really enjoyed them so I think of you as a sempai. Haha. Yes, Itachi doesn't strike me as much of a talker and I think it's more in line with how he conveys himself. He's not an open person and that might have been because of the circumstances of his raising. Thus in order to progress the story, I've added a twist which allowed him to forego his inhibitions if even only a tad... Besides, sometimes the simplest actions convey feelings much more than words can express.

**Mian-Mian:** The stories are related but definitely not connected. It's more like elements blend in rather than it is a sequel/prequel etc.... HC is a sequel to SAAC though.

**HTchime:** Well, maybe your review snuck into my dream. Either way, I've fulfilled your requestish comment. ( I love making up words.) Hope you liked it.

And I would like to also thank Mary, SailorWolf4, AngelofSerenity88, and Mystic Soldier for taking the time to review. Also thanks for reading... all viewers who don't have an account here.

**Note to all.** This story was intended to be a one-shot but I decided to come out with chapter two later. I meant for it to end absolutely here but everyone wants another chapter. Please read HC for more ItaUsa but I will TRY to come up with a final chapter for this which will then make it a trilogy. But that will be the ABSOLUTE end. Sorry to anyone who expected this to be longer. I simply can't afford to delay HC anymore than I have already. But I will say this, if I do ever come out with it, there will be more ItaUsa interaction directly.

I appreciate all comments Minna-san!

And once again: R&R ...if you feel like it

* * *

**-**_IceHaze_

_xEdited April 18x_


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